Bolt brings stardust to the Games

THE sun came out, the fans flocked and Usain Bolt once more gave athletics the gift of life.

He arrived to the rhythm of the Samba beat and left to chants of ‘Bolt, Bolt, Bolt’ from an adoring crowd.

In between he qualified fourth fastest for today’s 100m semi-finals in a fuss-free 10.07secs.

Nothing special, we all know that is still to come. But with one brief appearance he transformed the mood of the Olympics’ highest-profile sport.

The previous night a near-empty Estadio Olimpico, rain-drenched and ringed by gun-toting soldiers in a hard-to-access, dangerous part of town, symbolised, for many, the unsuitability of Rio hosting these Games.

But then Bolt came out to play and in a heartbeat there seemed like there was no better place to be.

“It’s the culture to party, it’s excitement,” Bolt’s arch-rival Justin Gatlin said. “We’re going to bring that to the track.”

After qualifying fastest in 10.01secs, America’s Gatlin added: “I felt good, but I think I’m going to have to run a bit faster (than 9.80secs, his season’s best) to win this medal.”

However, Bolt, the carnival king, is unmoved. “I’m looking forward to putting on a show for the whole entire world to see,” the Jamaican said. “This is where history is going to be made.”